I Do
by Cherry Jade
Summary: Dedicated to the lovely Alenachan! Two children meet under tragic circumstances. They’re both separated. Will they find each other and love? A love story. RaeRob


**A/N: **This is just a short story, by yours truly. I hope that you enjoy. I'm sorry to say that there won't be any updates until after May 5th. I have an AP test on that day, so after that I'm pretty much home free, till the end. Also, Gotham City is a real city. It's the nickname for NYC.

**Summary: **Two children meet under tragic circumstances. They're both separated. Will they find each other and love? A love story. RobinRaven or Groth. It means Grayson/Roth. Thank Mrs. Val-KidFlash for that. She's so creative!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything, you know that.

**Ages: **Richard: 10

Raven: 8

_**Dedicated to the lovely Alena-chan! Happy birthday dear. **_

**I Do **

**Chapter 1: _Losing, Gaining _**

**_April 26, 2006_**

**By: Cherry Jade**

"Breaking news, this is live on channel 5, and I'm Maria Sanchez. There has been a plane crash in suburbs of Gotham City. So far, no one knows what caused it. Firemen and rescue crews are searching for survivors…"

_The next day…_

"I'm Maria Sanchez again with your six o'clock news. Yesterday there was terrible crash involving 100 people. Though investigators don't know yet what caused the crash they are still working around the clock to sort through debris and to find answers as to what caused this horrible event."

"Last night the rescue crew found two survivors, both of them children. Police aren't releasing the names of the children, families already have been contacted. Both children are in critical condition. Doctors say that they do have an excellent chance of recovering fully…"

_**Three weeks later**…_

The country's attention on the plane crash soon ended.

The flowers stopped and so did the get well cards. The sympathy notes stopped as well.

People still wondered if those children were going to be okay and hoped for the best but they went on with their daily lives without being affected by it. The hysteria about riding planes was over, this tragic memory going to the back of their minds, while letting themselves get absorbed with their everyday lives.

Richard Grayson woke up to the bright luminous lights. He felt lost; he had no clue where he was. The last thing he remembered was hearing the voice of the pilot over the intercom and holding his mother and father's hands, because he was sitting in the middle of both of them, he was able to this. The plane took a sharp turn down, then nothing…

Speaking of which, where was his mom and dad anyway? His blue eyes scanned the room. There was nothing in here except for a curtain that separated from another person that was in the room. And hearing the beeping machines like on TV shows, he figured that he was in a hospital.

Again, he asked himself the question. Where _were_ his parents? He wanted to see if they were okay. Before he could even think to move out of the bed, a nurse came into the room most likely to check on him and the other person. Her head was bent, focusing on the clipboard without looking.

"Ah, Mr. Grayson was it?" She looked at her clipboard for conformation, then back at him. "So you're finally awake?" Richard wanted to roll his eyes, but refrained from doing so. "Well now that you're awake the doctors will be able to assess the damage of your body. You've been asleep for three weeks, dear."

Three weeks? He had been out for that long? That didn't matter right now; he needed to find out about his parents.

He opened his mouth to speak but found it very dry. Probably from not using it for so long.

"Do you need some water?" He nodded his head quickly. The nurse quickly left the room to get some. He leaned back on the pillows and tried to relax, but for some reason he couldn't. He just had a feeling that he was going to get bad news. **Very bad news.**

The nurse returned soon and gave him his cup of water. He drank it, he throat had been so parched, but now it felt much better.

"Um, Richard…I'm so sorry to tell you this, but I think that it's important that you know. I don't believe in lying to my patients so I'll just come out and say it. You and that little girl next to you were the only survivors from the plane crash. I know you're young but I think that you can handle the truth. Your uncle has come to visit you and he brags about how mature his nephew is…"

Richard's mind tried to wrap around the words that he had heard. He had stopped listening after she said that he and some girl that he didn't know were the only survivors.

How could that be?

That wasn't fair at all, what cruel god could do that him. He had always listened to his parents. Even though he did argue with them sometimes, he did love them with all his heart.

Now he was never going to see them again. He didn't have the chance to tell them he loved them one last time.

Richard Grayson turned his head to the side and the first of many tears began running down his face.

**---**

About week after he found his parents death his Uncle Bruce had come to visit him and told him how sorry he was. It made the pain a little better but it didn't stop him from thinking it about any less. Bruce had talk to the doctors ask them how bad it was. According to Richard's doctor, he had sustained a fractured rib, his shoulder dislocated. On top of that he lost the feeling of using his legs. If he didn't start physical therapy soon he would be paralyzed for good.

So he began rehabilitation. Currently, it was almost time to leave the physical therapist. He had to spend about an hour and a half each day since he'd started.

The nurse wheeled him back to his room then lifted his injured body back into the bed. After he was settled, the nurse left the room quietly.

Richard glanced at the girl to his left; she was still in a coma. The nurses had taken down the curtain that separated them. From what he could tell she was a small girl and had dark hair. He wondered if she was going to wake up at all. He heard the doctors talking yesterday and mumbling some mumbo jumbo scientific stuff that he couldn't understand at all what it meant. All he could comprehend was them saying that she might never wake up.

He knew that no one came to visit her at all. They said that her mother had been on the plane with her, but nothing about the father.

What about other relatives? Didn't they care at all? He found it hard to believe that this girl didn't mean anything to anyone. He felt very bad for her. Richard didn't want her to die, that wouldn't be fair at all. She survived, but didn't have the will to live.

It was then he had a thought, since he didn't have someone to talk to. He would talk to her. He had heard once that if you talk to someone who was sleeping that they would eventually answer or show some sign of hearing you.

Thing was…he didn't know what to say.

So Richard started with the basics.

"Um, hello girl. My name is Richard Grayson. I'm ten years old and…" He sighed.

This was awkward to say the least; he wished he knew her name.

He tried again. "It would be nice if you woke up and said something back." Okay, maybe that was a little too straightforward. Ever since he was little he always been like that.

"I'm sorry that you can't say anything back to me. Are you still asleep because you know that when you wake up, you'll hear some bad news?"

Silence was his answer.

"Well you shouldn't worry. I heard that my parents died and even though I didn't want to accept it, I did. I had and I have also come to terms with it. Plus, I don't know if this will be any help… but I can help you." Richard sighed again and was just about to turn his head when he saw it.

The little girl's hand moved.

The truth was… it was a twitch more than anything else.

Still he smiled.

It was sign that she maybe she was listening.

_§§§_

So the days and weeks after he continued to talk to her, though he never got another response like he did the first day, he still voiced everything that was on his mind to her. He talked about nurses, the doctors, what the weather was outside, how his therapy was going and all sorts of miscellaneous things.

Richard therapy was proceeding quite well, he had to walk with one crutch (his right shoulder was still healing), but he was managing okay. Hopefully he would be back to normal soon. His uncle came to visit him once every week to see how he was doing. He was glad that someone cared.

Reminiscing gave him something to do during his many hours of spare time. He had books but he didn't feel reading them right now. He had a remote but alas he didn't feel like watching TV. He did what interested him the most. Richard was going to talk the girl. Over the course of the week he had found out her name.

It was Raven.

That was an okay name for a girl, not that he would know, of course.

He got up carefully and used his crutch to inch over to her bedside.

"Hey Raven, how are you today?" Kind of a stupid question, but he needed an opening.

"I know that I say this everyday but I hope that you wake up. I want you to meet my uncle Bruce. He's rich and maybe one day you could come over to his house…"

He stopped because the person he was talking eyes were fluttering as if trying to open. He silently willed her to open her eyes. '_Come on_,' he chanted in his head. '_You can do it._'

Finally after many weeks, Raven's eyes opened and the first thing or person she saw was Richard. He was leaning over her trying to see what color her eyes were and was surprised to see the color purple. Was it normal for people to have purple eyes? First thing Raven saw a dark haired boy with bright blue eyes. They were gentle eyes but she wanted her mother.

Raven looked like she was trying to say something, so he got some water out a pitcher on a table with a paper cup. He waited until she sat up and gave it to her.

She gulped it all down and looked like she was ready to talk. "Where am I?" Those were her first words that Richard heard from her.

"You're in a hospital."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Richard."

"Where's my mommy?"

"I-I don't think I should tell you right now." He didn't want to be the one to tell her the awful news.

Her brow furrowed. "Why not? Is it bad?" She whispered softly.

He used his good arm to run his hand through his short hair. "What is the last thing that you remember?"

"I was on a plane to New York City with my mommy, and then a man on the intercom said that something was wrong. Then the plane just dived down. I remember my mom telling me she loved me then I hit my head on the seat in front of me and …"

A tear ran down her cheek and Richard looked down. He didn't mean for to remember that painful experience right of the bat, but he decided that had to tell her. It would be even crueler if she went on with false hope.

"Raven, your mom... She died on the plane when it crashed. You and I are the only survivors."

If possible the tears were running down faster. She looked into his eyes and saw sadness and sincerity. "No, you're lying. I always knew that boys were evil. My mom is not d-d-dead, she can't be. She p-promised, that after we got off the plane that our new life would begin. SHE CAN'T BE DEAD! MOMMY WOULDN'T LEAVE ME!"

The sobs shook her tiny frame. Richard, feeling useless didn't know what to do. Then he remembered. When ever he was feeling sad, his mom would hug.

With his good arm he wrapped it around her shoulders. She immediately buried her face under his chin and cried her heart out on his chest.

'_Poor girl,_' He thought sadly. He lost his parents too, but it seemed that this girl only had one she could count on. After what seem like hours, Richard finally said something to ease the girl's pain. "Shh, it's going to be okay. I'm your friend and I'll do my best to help you."

She sniffed and looked up. "You will? You'll really be my friend?"

"Yeah, of course I will. Besides I can relate to your pain, I lost my parents too on the plane." She didn't say anything, but her head rested on his good shoulder.

Quietly she said, "I'm sorry to hear that. Are you okay?"

He smiled, but it was faint. "Yes, my uncle cheers me up when ever I get sad."

"I wish I had an uncle to cheer me up."

Richard asked a question that he was dying to know the answer to. "Where's your dad?"

Her hand gripped on his shirt. "He and my mom got a divorced and now his married to another lady."

"Do you still talk to him?"

She shook her head, "No, I remember him screaming once that he wants nothing to do with me and my mom. He hasn't to come to visit or sent anything on my birthdays. But I miss him sometimes."

'_Wow'_, Richard thought surprised. '_She had a hard life so far. Nothing like mine._'

"Well I think that you should concentrate on getting better. So maybe we can play together soon."

Raven moved away from him and stared inquisitively at him. "You're not like the boys in my old school. They play with girls roughly and say that they have cooties."

Richard laughed for first time in a while. "I don't think that girls have cooties, I'm too mature for that."

Raven gave him a skeptical look. "I think that you're okay for a boy but you could be better."

Richard nodded his head proudly. Then he processed what she said. "Hey what's that supposed to mean?"

Then he looked at her saw that she went back to sleep. He hoped that she woke up tomorrow.

He made his back to his bed slowly, so he didn't hurt himself. He leaned back into his pillows and turned over the events that just recently occurred. Raven was a nice girl, better those girls at his school that were already talking about having boyfriends. Which boy or girl had a boyfriend or girlfriend in the fifth grade?

She had said that he was okay. He was glad that she liked him.

Today, Richard Grayson made a new friend.

--

Someone had opened the curtains because the sunlight had woken up Raven Roth. She sat up slowly and looked toward the window.

Her mother was gone.

Now she had none. Her father had a new family and didn't care about her.

Tears sprang to her lovely amethyst eyes and began to run down her cheeks. She lay back down and turned to her side. She didn't want her crying to wake up Richard. She remembered when her mother used to sing to her before bed time.

_I do, I do, emergere dal fondo per lottare e poi_

_salire in alto piÃ che mai_

_I do, I do guardare nel futuro e sorridere_

_senza temere nulla piÃ_

She sung softly, the words soothing her broken heart. The words weren't in English, her mother was Italian. Now, it was her only comfort to help bare the pain of losing her.

Richard stirred. Someone was singing. Not that it was bad but it was but it was so sad. The only other person in the room was Raven and it had to be her.

"Raven? You awake?"

He didn't get an answer immediately but finally she said quietly that he barely heard her,

"Yes. I am."

"Were you singing?"

"Yeah, I was. It was a song that my mother used to sing to me."

Richard nodded his head even though she couldn't see him. "It was a pretty song, what's it about?"

She sat up again and turned to look at him. "It's not in English, so I don't know. My mom said that she would tell me one day, but I guess I'll never know," she spat bitterly. The second stage of grief was already making itself present.

Anger.

Richard already went through it so he would know. And he definitely knew what was coming next.

"Why did you have to survive, anyway? Why couldn't my mom be with me right now? Why you? I don't get it!" She yelled at him.

A nurse heard the yelling from outside the door and opened it quickly. "You're awake?" She proclaimed surprised. They said this girl what wasn't going to wake up ever again but here she was yelling so early in the morning.

Raven turned to her with blazing amethyst eyes, anger still present. "What do you think, lady? That I'm talking in my sleep?"

Richard didn't mean to but he started laughing. It filled the room and the females in the room looked at him like he was crazy.

"What you laughing at? You find something funny, you stupid boy." He stopped laughing and smiled at her.

"Yep. You."

Raven snorted and turned her head.

The nurse who had been quiet up until this time looked amused between the two. Once she had chanced up the boy talking to the girl while she was asleep. She found it so cute and didn't interrupt him at all.

"Little girl-"

"My name is Raven," she interrupted rudely.

"Right. Raven, how long have you been awake?"

Richard answered for her, "Since yesterday afternoon. She woke up and then fell asleep again."

Raven glared over at him. "Thank you, _Raven_."

"You're welcome," he shot a grin right back at her.

Elizabeth, the nurse, just smiled at them. "Well, I'm going to check you out to make sure you're okay." She walked over to Raven and taking her vitals and her BP. Then she tested her legs to make sure that they were responding. Hmm, the legs reacted but she would physical therapy too.

"So how do you feel?"

"Good," she proclaimed in defiant tone.

Elizabeth's amber eyes twinkled. This girl sure was feisty. "How would like to get out of this bed today?"

"That would nice. According to that _thing_ over there I've been in this bed for more than two months."

Richard frowned. "I'm not a thing. I am a boy."

Raven glanced at him. "Are you sure about that?"

"Want proof?"

Raven gasped, appalled at what he was suggesting. "Nurse, this boy is being disgusting. Make him leave." Elizabeth began giggling. These children were funny. She wished that Raven had woken up sooner.

"I have a name. It's Richard."

"I don't care, you're gross."

"Oh come on, I was only joking."

"It didn't sound like that to me."

"Well if you two are done arguing, I'm going to get the doctor. Now no more mean talking."

"Nurse, I'm eight years old. You're talking to me like I'm four or something. Why don't you tell Richard that?"

"Hey, I wasn't being mean to anyone. You were." Richard defended himself.

"No I wasn't," Raven replied back quickly.

"Um, yeah you were,"

"No I wasn't,"

"Yes,"

"No,"

"Yes,"

"No!"

Elizabeth's eyebrow ticked. This back and forth was getting on her nerves. "Enough, both of you!"

It was quiet immediately. "Now listen up, I'll be back soon, okay?" They nodded their heads.

"Good children." She closed the door behind her.

They both waited about a minute or so before saying, "It's all your fault."

**§§**

Months passed and the two children became closer than ever. Richard picked fights or annoyed her on purpose to help her get over her grief, or just to cheer her up when she was feeling sad. She argued back and they always ended up laughing together. Richard treated her like a little sister and she didn't mind. She had no siblings, so why not.

They became partners in crime. His shoulder healed and he began playing pranks on other children in the hospital. He got Raven to help him. After first she had looked at him like he was crazy but then when she went with him to see how he pranked people and got away with it. She was in. While the pranks were harmless, it did liven up the hospital. Only one nurse in the entire building knew who it was.

And that was Nurse Elizabeth Spencer.

She caught on and even helped provide materials for them. There was this cranky old man that was in the room right across the hall and he complained about everything. So Richard took upon himself to shut the old man up. Raven was the watch person, making sure that no nurses or doctors were near the old man's room. Richard took some tape and covered the sleeping man mouth. He took out a marker and drew all kinds of things on his face. Richard chuckled evilly, but then he heard, "Richard we have to get going, someone's down the hall." He finished up his last drawing and they made a run for it.

They rushed out of the room and back to theirs in. They waited and waited.

There was loud scream. Richard and Raven assumed the tape was taken off. Their assumption was corrected when they heard, "WHO THE FUC-"

"Sir, you can't use that kind of language here."

"YOU THINK I CARE? WHO DID THIS TO MEEEE?" He bellowed loudly. The whole hospital could have heard him.

"I don't know, but please calm down," the doctor calmly said.

"ARGH!"

Needless to say, Raven and Richard were laughing so hard that they collapsed on their beds. They tried to stifle their laughs so that the doctors wouldn't find out who the culprits were. Raven got of her bed and walked over to Richard. They gave each other a high five like two best friends.

**§ Alena-chan is the best! §**

About a month later Richard had recovered nicely and his discharge from the hospital was at anytime and so was Raven's. They knew it but didn't acknowledge it. They were such good friends and knew everything about each other. They didn't leave each other ever.

But then one day, Elizabeth came into the room looking very sad.

"Raven your father is here and he's taking you home today."

Raven looked at her shocked. That can't be. Her father would never come for her, but then a man with brown hair and dark eyes came into the room. Her father.

"Raven,"

Her immediate reaction was glaring at him. "What do you want?"

He put a bag on the bed that held some clothes in it. "Put these on. We have a plane to catch back to Los Angles today."

"I'm not going with you. Bye." Richard, who just came back in the room, wondered what was going on. Raven jumped off her bed and ran to Richard. She hugged him tightly around his neck and he hugged her back.

"Richard, he's trying to make me go with him."

"Who's he?" He pointed to Raven's father.

"My dad." Richard narrowed his eyes at him. He already didn't like him.

"Raven, get away from that boy, and get ready to go."

"I don't see where you get off telling her what to do, from what I've heard you suck as a dad," Richard said fiercely.

"Now look you little punk-"

"Mr. Trigon, you are in hospital. Be quiet _please_!" Elizabeth said over his voice.

"Thank you. Raven dear, go get ready, you've been already discharged from the hospital."

Raven nodded her head sadly, her purple hair falling into her eyes. Richard watched helplessly as his friend was being taken away from him. At this moment he hated Raven's father more than anything. Why did have to come to Gotham City anyway? Richard could have asked his Uncle Bruce to take Raven in. But no, this man had already shown up.

Raven returned shortly dressed in a knee length blue jeans skirt and purple blouse. She looked very nice and matched her eyes.

"Ready?"

"No, I want to say bye to my friend Richard." She glared at him and Trigon couldn't help but see Raven's mother in her face. He couldn't but feel that sad that he lost his ex-wife to a plane crash.

Mr. Trigon's eyes narrowed at her, his anger getting the best of him. "Now look Raven you don't have time!"

Elizabeth, who was still in the room, ushered Trigon out the room. She closed the behind her.

"They're very close. You shouldn't be so rough with her. She lost her mother and that little boy in there helped her get through. So try showing some appreciation."

Trigon glared at her but once he saw the serious look in those amber eyes he looked away quietly.

_Back inside the room…_

Richard stood in front of Raven quietly. This was it. There was a pause and no one spoke and Richard looked into Raven's uniquely colored eyes, which were welling up with tears.

"Richard, I'll miss you," her voice was broke after that along with his heart. She was going to live with her father that one divorced her mom and didn't want anything to do with her. He had a new family why would he want anything to do with an old family?

"And I'll miss you Raven." He closed the distance between them and enveloped her in a hug, wanting to comfort her. "When you get lonely, think of me okay?" He whispered gently in her ear. She nodded and Richard held on for little bit longer. He was memorizing everything about her, her smell, the feel of her skin, and her soft purple eyes. He wanted this memory to be engraved into his brain forever for he knew that he might never see her again.

"Come on Raven, hurry up and say goodbye," her father called from the door in an irritated voice. Raven sighed; she didn't want to leave Richard.

"We'll meet again Raven. I promise." Raven looked up at him and he wiped the tears that escaped her eyes and down fell down her to the sides of her cheeks.

"You promise?" Her eyes were hopeful.

He nodded. "I do." They let go of each other and Raven moved closer to the door. One more step and she would've been gone, but instead she turned around and waved at Richard. With a small smile, she left. That picture would be forever engraved in his brain.

_And that was the last time Richard Grayson saw Raven Roth. The next time he would see her would be ten years later. The question was: would they still remember each other? _

_Fin_

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**A/N: **And because I love you guys and Alena-chan so much, here's a preview of the next chapter!

**Preview: **

She was beautiful not only that, he heard a heavenly voice singing a song softly and sadly, _"I do, I do, guardare nel futuro e sorridere…"_ Richard vaguely remembered a tune going like that once. But where had he heard it before? He stood quietly, trying to remember where he heard this before.

He stepped forward, his action making a sound which caused the goddess to whip her head quickly facing him, her singing coming to a halt.

Purple eyes meeting brilliant blue eyes.

"Please don't stop singing," was his only request. Her head cocked to the side, silently asking why. Even though Richard didn't know her, he thought the action made her look adorable.

**Okay folks, there you go! I hope that you enjoyed it! **

**Once again, Happy Birthday Alena. May it be a happy one! –grins-**

**Don't forget to review! **

**Adios amigos and amigas,**

**Cherry Jade Grayson**

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**A Cherry Jade Production. In Association with Rob/Rae Forever INC. Copyright 2006.**


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